Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-05-26

The guard house is surrounded by tents,
and 1t it is carefully guarded. II is long
building OF pine boards, with two rows Oi
cells, and an aisle running through be-
tween them. The cells look like the bins
of granary. They are about SIX feet
square and have no windows. Their only
furniture Is a mattress, which Is land Hat
upon the floor for the criminals to sleep
upon. There are no soldiers in 1t yet, hut
it will doubtless have something To do be-
fore the drill is over. Standing at the
guard house, took look across BahcOck
lake at the mess house, aud it is, | assure
YOU, n lively institution. \ New York
man operates it, and he cooks all the meals
here for the 5000 or more soldiers i'll at
tendance upon the drill. He has build
covering quarter of an acre of ground,
and living very near To the Washington
monument the soldiers have not as yet
complained of his cooking, and the smell
is ratherappetZing rs You pass the Kitchen.
-
The drill takes place in the big drill
grounds upon the white lot, and about
twenty acres of this are inClOSed with a
high board fence. Around the edge Of
about One-half Of this circle grand stands
have been erected, and the spectators CSn
look down mt this drill in the same way
that the old Romans looked down mt the
shows in the coliseum. The coliseum, how
ever, would have seated Just nine times as
many people rs these grand stands, and it
rives one some idea of the number of the
Romans to think that they required an
amusement hall blg enough to seat 9O, 900
people There Is ample room for the drill
here, and many regiments can he exercised
ut the same time in these grounds.
| called at the headquarters and took =
look at the leading men connected with
the drill. Gen. AuVur looks like a soldier.
He is commandment of the camp aud tall
fine looking fellow he is. Though over 60
he moves around like one of the cadets, and
the only sign of age is in his hair and
whiSkers, which are now turning gray. He
is New Yorker by birth, hut has lived at
Washington for the last quarter Of a CEN
turv. From 1858 10 l~66 he was in conf
mani of the detenSes of Washington, but
ne is now ON the retired list and he lives
very nicely at hls home in Georgetown.
Gen. Ordway Is IL years Of age, and he
began his military life rs student at Har-
ward College. lie was member of the
New England Guards, and at l. WAS first
lieutenant IN the twenty fourth MasSachu-
sets infantry, one OF the three kid %lOved
regiments OF Boston. lie served through
ont the war in the armies of the Potomac
and the James, and was present At the final
surrender at AppomattoN. He rose from
lieutenant to colonel during this time, and
at the close Of the war was made provost
marshall for the State OF Virginia. When
his regiment was mustered out he was
made brigadier general and he was offer
ell a position in the regular army. He de-
clined this and went to live in Richmond.
In 1876 he moved to Washington, and has
been largely connected with militia mat
tiers here. He had charge Of the last in
augural parade, aud he showed great abil-
ity in managing the ~, 600 men connected
with it. He says he hopes TO make the
militia of the District Of Columbia the
model militia of the country, and he will
probably succeed in doing so.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.